Boss Andy Sinton believes AFC Telford United will learn from their first away defeat of the season, insisting: “We’ve not suddenly become a bad team.”

The Bucks went down 3-0 at Blyth Spartans last night, having conceded just three goals in their previous 10 away matches in the Blue Square Bet North.

The result saw them lose ground on the division’s new leaders Nuneaton, but the Telford chief is refusing to panic.

“You don’t become a bad side overnight,” said Sinton.

“We’ve lost two league games in 21 and we’d have taken that when we started in early August.

“It’s not the end of the world, the sun still came up this morning. It’s disappointing but it happens and I will learn from it.

“You won’t win games against good opposition when you play with three players, and that’s what we played with last night,” he added.

“I think there were only three players who could come out and say they’d played somewhere near how they had been playing.

“We carried eight players, and if you carry eight players at somewhere like Blyth you’ll get beaten.”

The first two goals last night were down to errors by goalkeeper Ryan Young, though Sinton refused to castigate his No 1.

But the Telford chief was less charitable to midfielder Phil Trainer, who was sent off with three minutes to go after two quick yellow cards.

“He’s let himself down and he’s let his team-mates down,” said Sinton.

l Meanwhile Telford have had three postponed matches re-arranged.

They now travel to Workington on Tuesday, February 1 and host Gainsborough and Eastwood on March 8 and 22 respectively.

By CHRIS HUDSON